Mathematical modeling of mixed plasmodium vivas-plasmodium falciparum infections

Abstract

Mathematical modeling serves many uses in biology, especially to explore phenomena that are difficult to measure empirically. Hear, I discuss recent progress in modeling the bloodstage dynamics of mixed Plasmodium vivax-Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections. The model reproduces features of such infections found in nature and reports several observations which merit clinical attention, indluding the potential recrudescence of a low – level P. falciparum infectioo following a P.vivax infection to reduce the peak parasitemia of a P.falciparum superinfection, The model can can be used to simulate the administration of antimalarial drugs, and illustrates some potential complications in treating mixed-species malaria infections. Most notably, if a mixed-species infection is misdiagnosed as a single-species P. vivax infection treatment can lead to the dangerous appearance of “hidden” P. falciparum